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| Staff Writer |
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Emily Upjohn is striving to achieve consecutive victories at Epsom by aiming for a win in the 31st May Gr.1 Coronation Cup. It's a shame that she's not arriving here with an unbeaten record on this course.
Many people feel that she was unlucky not to win the Gr.1 Epsom Oaks two years ago as she finished just behind Tuesday in second place, after stumbling and losing ground at the start.
Epsom presents a challenging course, but Emily Upjohn shows natural talent, and her comeback seems promising. However, she hasn't been very active in recent months. She has only raced three times since defeating Westover in this event a year ago, and two of those races have been disappointing. This raises the question of whether she still has her skills at the age of 5.
It's uncertain whether she still retains her ability, as her only race this year in March saw her finish fifth in the Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. In Dubai, she finished 3 1/2 lengths behind Rebel's Romance, and her co-trainer was pleased with her performance.
"She ran a really good race there," said John Gosden. "It's not easy getting the fillies ready in the winter, but she ran a lovely race. She's had a bit of a holiday since then and we're building her back up, but we're pleased with her and the race should bring her on for the summer racing."
Gosden sees the Coronation Cup as a great opportunity for Emily Upjohn to kick off her title defense in Britain this year. As the daughter of Sea The Stars, she triumphed in last year's Coronation, and Gosden is optimistic about her chances for another impressive performance. He is hopeful that the race will mark a step forward for her.
He said, "It's a small field, so it'll probably be a tactical race, but she's a filly who has been off for quite a bit since last year with only one run. She needs to get back on the track and we're happy with her, while I think the race will bring her on."
Despite his unfavorable draw in stall 1, City of Troy is still the favorite for the Gr.1 Derby. Aidan O'Brien remains unconcerned as he prepares for his classic bid for glory at Epsom. The son of Justify aims for a comeback on 1st June after a disappointing ninth place in the Two Thousand Guineas.
He faces a challenge starting from the inside gate, as only two Derby winners have succeeded from there since 1972. Adayar and Oath won from stall 1 and 4, respectively. City of Troy is the top favorite despite a less favorable draw, while Unibet offers standout odds for City of Troy at 9-2 and Los Angeles leads at 7-2.
O'Brien said, "We haven't read too much into it yet but look, the draw is the draw for everyone really."
Coral spokesman David Stevens said, "The lowest draw is generally regarded as a negative, suggesting City of Troy's task is now even harder. He's still clinging on to favoritism, but it wouldn't be a surprise if Los Angeles put that under further threat come race time."
Nine of the last 10 Derby winners have been drawn in the higher half, with the exception being Adayar, and six of those have come from a double-figure number.
Stall 11 hasn't produced a winner, but Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom, backed at 4-1, aims to defy the stat. Meanwhile, Dancing Gemini, drawn in stall 15, is seen as a positive by trainer Roger Teal for the Gr.1 French Two Thousand Guineas runner-up.
Teal said, "I think we would rather be higher than low, so I'm not devastated by the draw. Everyone knows stall 10 is the favorite draw and we're not too far away."
This year, the outsider God's Window has been assigned stall 10, while the impressive Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes winner, Ambiente Friendly, will need to overcome stall 6, just as North Light did 20 years ago.
Additionally, Macduff and Bellum Justum, other hopeful contenders, have been assigned stalls 8 and 12, respectively. The final field of 16 was declared on Thursday.
Oisin Murphy, who rides Bellum Justum, said, "I'm fond of the horse and let's see what he can do, but I'm happy with his draw and I'm not worried."